Fill cap for pressurized radiator



De- 19, 1967 H. J. LEICHNER FILL CAP FOR PRESSURIZED RADIATOR Filed ot. e, 1965 United States Patent O 3,358,871 FILL CAP FOR PRESSURIZED RADIATOR Howard J. Leichner, 1510 N. Neil St., Champaign, Ill. 61820 Filed Oct. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 493,463 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-44) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A radiator cap for a pressurized, automotive radiator which incorporates a check-valved passage through which the radiator can be filled or replenished with water without removal of the cap from the radiator and without breaking the pressure seal.

This invention relates generally to fill caps for pressurized cooling systems and in particular to a fill cap for a pressurized, auto radiator.

The pressurized cooling systems of modern autos have many advantages over earlier automotive engine cooling systems, however, they do make it dangerous to remove the fill cap from an over-heated radiator. In addition to the danger to the person removing the cap, if the cooling system contains antifreeze much or all of this will be spewn out and lost during the explosive vaporization which occurs upon removal of the cap. Subsequent filling of the radiator, without a substantial waiting interval while the engine cools, can cause cracked engine cylinder heads or blocks.

The fill cap of the present invention avoids these difiiculties by incorporating a check valve which maintains the sealed condition of the cooling system but which permits lling of the radiator without removal of the cap.

The primary object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a radiator lill cap which permits filling of a pressurized radiator without removal of the cap.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a radiator lill cap of the type referred to above having an inlet member adapted for sealed, pressure engagement with a filler nozzle such as the conventional male fitting at the end of a garden hose.

These and other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side sectional View of an automobile radiator ll cap assembly embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view, fragmentary and partially in section, illustrating the filling of a radiator on which the cap is installed without removal of the cap.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, the fill cap assembly includes a top plate 10, having a downwardly turned marginal edge area, the plate including the disc component 11 which is attached by tabs to the plate proper. The downwardly turned marginal edge areas of the plate 10 are conventionally provided with diametrically opposed radially inwardly turned sectors 12 which conventionally fit under the outwardly flanged portion 13 of a conventional intake spout 14 of an automotive radiator. The spout 14 may be provided with the conventional overflow tube 16.

The depressed, central portion 17 of the cap has rigidly attached thereto a cylindrical member 18 which extends downwardly and terminates in sidewardly extending tabs 18a. Slidably received on the member 18 is an annular member 19. Extending between the upper surface of the annular member 19 and the under surface of the depressed cap portion 17 is a compression spring 21. A cup-shaped member 22 has snap-over portions 22a which attach the cup to the member 19. At its center the cup is rigidly attached to the circumferentially indented portion 24 of a tube 26. A retaining disc 27, of smaller circumference than the member 22, is rigidly attached to the indented circumferential portion 28 of the shaft 26 and between the disc 27 and the member 22 there is disposed a rubber valve member 29. The members 19, 22, 29 and 27 collectively form a valve disc which cooperates with the valve seat 31 conventionally formed by the upwardly turned flange 32 within the radiator intake spout 14. As will be evident from FIG. l, the spacing of the stops provided by the tabs 18a for the valve disc is such that with the cap locked on the hanged end of the intake spout 14, the compression spring 21 will be compressed slightly and there will be sealing engagement of the resilient member 29 with the valve seat 31. The pressure exerted by the spring 21 will be su'icient to preserve the internal pressure, conventionally 12 to 17 pounds per square inch, within the radiator.

The upper portion 26a of the tube 26 extends beyond the upper surface of the cap plate 10 and freely through a central aperture in a frusto-conical member 36 carried by the plate component 11. The member 36 is formed of Neoprene or a similar elastomer. The lower portion of the tube accommodates, in its interior, an O-ring 37 formed of a suitable resilient material. The O-ring is positioned against the internal shoulder formed by the circumferential groove 28 in the tube.

Urged against the O-ring 37 is a stainless steel ball 38, the biasing force being provided by the compression spring 39 which engages the ball at its upper end and at its lower end is bottomed on inwardly extending tabs 41 struck from the tip portion of the tube 26. It will be evident that the ball 38 and the seat formed by the O-ring 37 provide a check valve which prevents ilow of liuid from the lower end of the tube 26 to the upper end thereof but permits fluid flow from the upper end of the tube to the lower end. The ball 38 serves to obstruct uid flow outwardly through the tube and thus preserves the pressure seal of the radiator.

The operation of the cap will be evident from FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 2, when the radiator is to be filled or replenished, any suitable liuid container spout or, as shown in FIG. 2, the male tting 41 on a conventional garden hose, may be pressed against the outer end portion of the member 36. Since conventional water supply pressure well exceeds the normal pressure within a radiator plus the force of spring 39, water will be forced through the tube 26, past the ball closure 38 and into the radiator. This iilling or replenishing operation occurs without removal of the cap, that is, while the cap is in its position of FIG. 1. When the radiator is full the cap will release the incoming fluid through the conventional overow tube 16 thereby avoiding any excessive pressure and indicating to the attendant that the radiator is full.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail in the drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within the broad scope of the invention, reference being made to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. An automobile radiator ill cap assembly adapted to seal closed the valve seat within the lill spout of an automotive radiator, said iill cap assembly comprising a top plate adapted to engage the end of the radiator fill spout, a tube extending freely through a central aperture in said plate with its upper portion extending above the outer surface of the plate and its lower portion depending from the inner surface of the plate and into the radiator ll spout, a valve disc carried by the lower portion of said tube adapted to close against the fill spout valve seat,

a compression spring extending between said plate and said valve disc urging said disc away from said plate, a stop limiting the separation of said valve disc and said plate, means forming a valve seat interiorly of said tube, a spring biased ball closure member cooperable with said valve seat to obstruct fluid flow from the lower end to the upper end of said tube but to permit fluid ow from the upper end to the lower end of said tube, and a resilient frusto-conically shaped member encircling the said upper portion of the tube, said resilient member being adapted to have sealing pressure engagement with a uid supply fitting, whereby uid can be introduced into the radiator ll spout through said tube without removing said valve disc from engagement with the ll spout valve seat.

2. An automobile radiator lill cap assembly adapted to seal closed the valve seat within the ll spout of an automotive radiator, said till cap assembly comprising a top plate adapted to engage the end of the radiator ll spout, a tube extending freely through a central aperture in said plate with its upper portion extending above the outer surface of the plate and its lower portion depending from the inner surface of the plate and into the radiator fill spout, a valve disc carried by the lower portion of said tube adapted to close against the ll spout valve seat, means forming a valve Seat interiorly of said tube, a spring biased ball closure member cooperable with said valve seat to obstruct uid flow from the lower end to the upper end of said tube but to permit fluid tlow from the upper end to the lower end of said tube, and a resilient frustoconically shaped member encircling the said upper portion of the tube, said resilient member being adapted to have sealing pressure engagement with a fluid supply fitting, whereby fluid can be introduced into the radiator fill spout through said tube without removing said valve disc from engagement with the lill spout valve seat.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,610,766 9/1952 Ogle 220-86 2,760,367 8/1956 Stromberg 220--24 3,135,411 6/1964 Osborne 220-44 X JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Prmaiy Examiner. THERON E. CONDON, Examiner.

G. T. HALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN AUTOMOBILE RADIATOR FILL CAP ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO SEAL CLOSED THE VALVE SEAT WITHIN THE FILL SPOUT OF AN AUTOMOTIVE RADIATOR, SAID FILL CAP ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A TOP PLATE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE END OF THE RADIATOR FILL SPOUT, A TUBE EXTENDING FREELY THROUGH A CENTRAL APERTURE IN SAID PLATE WITH ITS UPPER PORTION EXTENDING ABOVE THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE PLATE AND ITS LOWER PORTION DEPENDING FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF THE PLATE AND INTO THE RADIATOR FILL SPOUT, A VALVE DISC CARRIED BY THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID TUBE ADAPTED TO CLOSE AGAINST THE FILL SPOUT VALVE SEAT, A COMPRESSION SPRING EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID PLATE AND SAID VALVE DISC URGING SAID DISC AWAY FROM SAID PLATE, A STOP LIMITING THE SEPARATION OF SAID VALVE DISC AND SAID PLATE, MEANS FORMING A VALVE SEAT INTERIORLY OF SAID TUBE, A SPRING BIASED BALL CLOSURE MEMBER COOPERABLE WITH SAID VALVE SEAT TO OBSTRUCT FLUID FLOW FROM THE LOWER END TO THE UPPER END OF SAID TUBE BUT TO PERMIT FLUID FLOW FROM THE UPPER END OT THE LOWER END OF SAID TUBE, AND A RESILIENT FRUSTO-CONICALLY SHAPED MEMBER ENCIRCLING THE SAID UPPER PORTION OF THE TUBE, SAID RESILIENT MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE SEALING PRESSURE ENGAGEMENT WITH A FLUID SUPPLY FITING, WHEREBY FLUID CAN BE INTRODUCED INTO THE RADIATOR FILL SPOUT THROUGH SAID TUBE WITHOUT REMOVING SAID VALVE DISC FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FILL SPOUT VALVE SEAT. 